Q AND A WITH BRIAN CAMPBELL

(Editor's Note: Brian Campbell ended the 2007-08 season with a career-high 48 points (6+42) leading all Sabres' defensemen in scoring. His efforts earned him a spot on the 2007 NHL All-Star team, his first appearance at the event. Entering the 2007-08 season, "Soupy" talked with Sabres.com about the new year, the depth of the team and why Buffalo will be successful this season.)

Q: How was you summer and how did you spend it?

BC: The summer was good. The weather was really good so I was back in London, Ontario for a little golfing and a little boating and everything. It was nice and relaxing.

Q: Getting back into the season, how does Teppo Numminen being out affect you as a defenseman?

BC: I think depth-wise it’s going to affect us a lot. But a lot of people know we still have six capable people that can play, that have played, in years past. That’s going to be the biggest downfall is the depth. Everybody feeds off of him and learns a little bit from him.

Q: Are you expected to be more of a leader now with the loss of such a veteran?

BC: No, I don’t think so. I think everyone is going to contribute in leadership ways and I don’t think it’s going to change the way I do anything or how I’m going to go at it.

Q: Have you noticed a step-up in competition from the younger blueliners vying for a spot?

BC: There are some good players out there. In this organization, they can skate and handle the puck. That’s great for the organization and will add more depth that way. That’s going to help us. We are going to need those guys at some point during the season.

Q: There have been some comparisons already about this year's team and the 2005-06 team that came through as the underdogs. Does it feel like it did two years ago in the locker room with so many young players?

BC: It’s a lot of the same guys and we’re going the same route. I think in who we have personally I see some similarities that way. I think it’s more a case of what’s been talked about outside the dressing room; it’s kind of the same through the media and the sports people. Not a whole lot has changed with the dressing room, what we feel and the confidence we have in each other.

Q: What would you like to see differently on power play this year?

BC: More goals? There are a lot of positives and everything. It’s tough to put a finger on one thing that goes wrong with it, especially when you’re third in the league I think the year before and then you drop the next year. We’re just going to have to work at it and keep working at it. We’ll find a way.

Q: Do you think the Sabres will have to be more defensive this season with the loss of Chris Drury and Danny Briere?

BC: I don’t think that has anything to do with it. I know Lindy’s said we’re going to play the same way. I think it’s more of a case of realizing the score and the time and everything like that, or when you’re down by a couple. I know we got behind a couple goals early on so you’re just going to have to play a smarter game. But losing those two guys is not going to change our style or how we play overall.

Q: What are the strengths of this team in comparison with the Sabres in the past few years?

BC: Depth. I think we’ve shown that the last couple of years. It kind of speaks for itself. Not much has changed here in the locker room. There is a lot of the same thing. I try not to pay attention to anything else because we know what we have inside there and that’s all that matters to us as a team. There are lots of strengths out there you can see and it starts obviously in our back end.